In emergency medicine, the “golden hour” refers to the time period lasting from minutes to several hours following a major multisystem trauma. It is widely believed that the victim's chances of survival are greatest if he or she receives definitive care within the first hour. The term “golden hour” refers to the U.S. military wartime experience, particularly in the Vietnam War. The golden hour can be summarized by the 3 R rule of Dr. Donald Trunkey, an academic trauma surgeon, i.e. “getting the right patient to the right place at the right time.”
The “golden hour” not only relates to transporting the patient to a suitable facility for surgical intervention and/or treatment, but also to treating the patient immediately on scene or en route. Immediate treatment can make the difference in maximizing the patient's chances of survival.
In cases of severe trauma, uncontrolled bleeding is the leading cause of potentially preventable early in-hospital deaths. Therefore, there is a need for a system to stop or slow down traumatic bleeding that can be readily applied or used on scene or en route to a suitable facility.